Date set for next Sphere Stuff Day/Ham Swap Meet
After lots of data collection, historical weather checking, and polling, Saturday, APRIL 9th
is
the date for the next Sphere Stuff Day and Okanagan Valley-wide Radio
Amateur swap meet. This gives those in Washington & Oregon time to
recover from Puyallup, and should be good weather for both travel and
display for everybody. This will be at Sphere Research, in West Kelowna,
BC, about 4 hours from Vancouver.? See our website for all the contact
details and exact address. Starts 9am, but set up for those to display starts at 7am, and we can accommodate 2 Rvs and some limited overnight guests.
We will have tons of test equipment, (Tek, HP, Boonton, Fluke, PMI/Wavetek and much more) spare parts, plug-in modules, manuals and salvage units. Also tons of free electronic goodies of all kinds, as well as dirt cheap items, PLUS a wide range of ham gear and related items from ICOM to Collins for selling, swapping and testing. There is a lot of very cool stuff we are clearing out to make space, so whether you want RF parts, transmitting tubes, test gear, CRTs, nicads, scopes, meters, parts or what-have-you, you WILL find it here. There will also be solar panels, tons of high quality panel meters, Tek 11K items, time code systems (for that home launch pad you've been working on), and a huge assortment of crystals, filters and precision oscillator modules. Susan will also provide Visa/MC and Paypal services for payments if needed.
Want
space to show and sell your gear, just CONTACT WALTER to reserve a
spot, strictly first come, first served. Trunk/truck sales are fine, or
you can set up a table, as you wish. We can provide power for some
locations, and we will have some interesting test gear to allow you to
demo and verify your stuff. YES,
we take requests for specific items you may be interested in, and YES
we will post a list in advance of some key items and prices for those
that just can't get up here, but shipping costs can be annoying for big
items, which is exactly why we suggest showing up in person.
Those that have been here in the past have had a great time, so we
invite you to drop by and snorkel through the goodies to your heart's
content. Plus, who knows what fabulous treasures others will bring to
trade?
We may also be able to set up a BBQ spot for snacks, and we will
have off-air frequency checks, RF power testing, and a master frequency
reference to let you check your counters and other gear. Plus, lots of
help and advice from a great cross-section of people you don't get to
see so often.
All
in all, it should be a great time. RSVP if you need exhibit space, or
just to say hi, and remember that we do take requests to set out just
the items you need (we have 4 storage buildings, we can't set it ALL
out). If you have been missing a good surplus store experience for a
while, come by and get that taken care of here!
Remember, Saturday, April 9th. I will post again as we get closer to remind you of the date.
all the best, walter & susan (walter2 -at- sphere.bc.ca) sphere research corp.
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8590E Video Display problem
I have an HP 8590E in which there is no video on initial power up. But consistently, if I shut the 8590E down anytime after about 2 minutes and turn it again, the display is perfect - until the next cold start.?
Anyone have any ideas what may be causing this?
BobD
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Re: Weinschel step attenuator gets stuck
Tom,
Afraid I don't have any help with this problem but a very warm welcome to the HP group. For those who don't recognise Tom's name and callsign, he is the brilliant designer of the DG8SAQ vector network analyser, VNWA.
I built an early kit and have had?a lot of fun and learned much. With retirement coming up, I will have time to explore a lot more of the amazing functionality Tom has developed it?and continues to do so?with new software releases. I urge anyone with any interest in VNAs up to 1.3Ghz to check out the Yahoo VNWA group.
Ian G3XYV
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Re: Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems
Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd)
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Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
The 970A- I'm still chasing a battery pack for one- dead or alive (I just need the case)- but son has recently got a 3D printer- I smell success looming!
Dave, ZL3FJ
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----- Original Message -----
From: "'Mike Feher' n4fs@... [hp_agilent_equipment]" <hp_agilent_equipment@...>
To: <hp_agilent_equipment@...>
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 3:05 AM
Subject: RE: [hp_agilent_equipment] HP DVM / DMM technological history
I forget the nomenclature of the pen style red LED readout DVM. I had several and they were neat. Regards ¨C Mike
Mike B. Feher, N4FS
89 Arnold Blvd.
Howell, NJ, 07731
732-886-5960
From: hp_agilent_equipment@... [mailto:hp_agilent_equipment@...]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 9:00 AM
To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Subject: [hp_agilent_equipment] HP DVM / DMM technological history
Hello All,
I am doing a bit of research to accomplish a comprehensive understanding of the DVM / DMM technology from the late fifties and early sixties into the 90's. I have come up with what I think is a list that covers the models I should be looking into. Are there any more digital meters that should be added?
405
2401
2402
3435
3440
3450
3455
3456
3460
3465
3490
Cheers,
David
|
Test Equipment where battery failure causes SERIOUS problems
Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd)
For many bits of kit, a battery is used to run a real time clock, and a failure is not a big deal. But for others it can be quite serious. It would be useful if we had a list of HP equipment where battery failures cause serious problems. Here are 1.5 entries.
1) HP 70700A digitizer when power fails on that, the code is lost, so it needs to be reprogrammed. Someone in Germany done mine for me, but it meant shipping it overseas to get it repaired. So if you have an 70000 series MMS with one of those, make sure the battery is replaced and done so without losing the data in SRAM.
2) HP 3457A 6.5 digit multimeter whilst not so catastrophic, a report I read recently on one of the newsgroups from someone, said he sent a 3457A in for calibration, and the company was not happy as the failure of the battery added an hour to the calibration time. They were going to charge for this, but in the end they did not.
So a battery failure causes a loss of calibration data, and perhaps a higher charge to get a 3457A calibrated, since everything needs adjusting, not just the odd range which might be out of spec.
Dr. David Kirkby Ph.D CEng MIET
Kirkby Microwave Ltd
Registered office: Stokes Hall Lodge, Burnham Rd, Althorne, Essex, CM3 6DT, UK.
Registered in England and Wales, company number 08914892.
Tel: 07910 441670 / +44 7910 441670 (0900 to 2100 GMT only please)
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Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
I just won a 3476B on ebay. I always wanted one of these "tricorder" DMMs.
Item No. 272125448332 (the lit decimal points are just low battery indication)
Robert G8RPI.
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Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
I have a 405AR and a 970A.
Also a Non HP Digitec Z-204B. ? Leon Robinson ?? K5JLR
Political Correctness is a Political Disease.
From: "d.garrido@... [hp_agilent_equipment]"
To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 8:32 AM
Subject: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
?
AH YES!!! The 970 tiny 3.5 digit handheld DMM. ?Was that the very first handheld?
d
the latest update:
405
2401
2402
3403
3435
3437
3440
3450
3455
3456
3460
3465
3470
3480
3490
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Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
Speaking of the 3478 (which I also have), is the 3468.? It¡¯s very similar to the 3478, but uses HP-IL rather than HP-IB.? (this was for use with the handhelds like the HP-41, HP-71 and the like). ? Daun ? Daun E. Yeagley, II, N8ASB ?
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From: hp_agilent_equipment@... [mailto:hp_agilent_equipment@...]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 1:50 PM
To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Subject: RE: [hp_agilent_equipment] HP DVM / DMM technological history? ? How about the workhorse 3478?? Very popular and as low as $150 guaranteed working on eBay. ? PS: My stable of HP DMMs is a 3456, 3457, and 2 3478¡¯s. ? Regards, John K1AE ? ? ? Hello All, ? I am doing a bit of research to accomplish a comprehensive understanding of the DVM / DMM technology from the late fifties and early sixties into the 90's. ?I have come up with what I think is a list that covers the models I should be looking into. ?Are there any more digital meters that should be added? ? 405 2401 2402 3435 3440 3450 3455 3456 3460 3465 3490 ? Cheers, ? David
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HP/Agilent T&M Catalogs for Sale
I have all the HP/Agilent Test & Measurement Catalogs from
1985-2001 in excellent condition as well as 2ea 1989 (50th anniversary)
catalogs in their original box. I worked at HP/Agilent in Baltimore &
Philadelphia area so there is a personal history with these catalogs. Let me
know if interested & can send pictures. Mike
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Re: HP8593A Power Supply repair
Roumen,
????? I would like to have a copy of the power supply schematics if it is possible.? My HP8591A has the low 5.2 volt supply problem that others have mentioned.? I am very experienced in this type of electronics and I would like to find a solution that is lasting and that I can share with others.
??????We have a family friend in Burgas and relatives in Russia, we are in the US.
?
Ted
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Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
How about the workhorse 3478?? Very popular and as low as $150 guaranteed working on eBay. ? PS: My stable of HP DMMs is a 3456, 3457, and 2 3478¡¯s. ? Regards, John K1AE ?
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From: hp_agilent_equipment@... [mailto:hp_agilent_equipment@...]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 9:00 AM
To: hp_agilent_equipment@...
Subject: [hp_agilent_equipment] HP DVM / DMM technological history? ? Hello All, ? I am doing a bit of research to accomplish a comprehensive understanding of the DVM / DMM technology from the late fifties and early sixties into the 90's. ?I have come up with what I think is a list that covers the models I should be looking into. ?Are there any more digital meters that should be added? ? 405 2401 2402 3435 3440 3450 3455 3456 3460 3465 3490 ? Cheers, ? David
|
Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
A side note:
HP advertised but never produced: >>> <<<
"Prism, the interface card that never was" I/O card for reading voltage.
Dennis
--------------------------------------------
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On Tue, 2/16/16, Ken Chalfant kpchalfant@... [hp_agilent_equipment] <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:
Subject: Re: [hp_agilent_equipment] HP DVM / DMM technological history
To: "hp_agilent_equipment" <hp_agilent_equipment@...>
Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2016, 1:07 PM
Greetings,
Two
interesting HP DMM¡¯s were the HP 3476A which could be
configured as a stand alone DMM or integrated on top of a
scope.
The
other was a unique handheld auto-ranging probe-like DMM -
the HP-970A. ?These were really kind of neat and handy.
?Unfortunately, they had a real tendency to ¡°grow
legs¡± and disappear! ?When they were a current
product, sometime in the ¡¯70¡¯s, I think they were $300 -
$400 which was more then than it is now. ?When HP
designed the 970 they must have never considered how
tempting they would be to follow people home.
Ken
On 16Feb,
2016, at 7:00 AM, d.garrido@...
[hp_agilent_equipment] <hp_agilent_equipment@...>
wrote:
Hello All,
I am doing a bit of research to
accomplish a comprehensive understanding of the DVM / DMM
technology from the late fifties and early sixties into the
90's. ?I have come up with what I think is a list
that covers the models I should be looking into. ?Are
there any more digital meters that should be
added?
4052401240234353440345034553456346034653490
Cheers,
David
|
Didier has done a great job with his site, then again it is always a good idea to have data in more than only one place at a time, the IT world MTBF is likely lower than the human one. Paul Le?mardi 16 f¨¦vrier 2016, Artek Manuals manuals@... [hp_agilent_equipment] < hp_agilent_equipment@...> a ¨¦crit?: > ? > > On 2/16/2016 9:10 AM, 'Daun Yeagley' daun@...> [hp_agilent_equipment] wrote: >> I agree with you, Chuck. And Didier¡¯s site has a lot more room than the >> (unreliable) Yahoo site¡ >> >> Daun >> >> *Daun E. Yeagley, II, N8ASB* >> >> *From:* hp_agilent_equipment@...>> [mailto: hp_agilent_equipment@...] >> *Sent:* Tuesday, February 16, 2016 8:44 AM >> *To:* hp_agilent_equipment@...>> *Subject:* Re: [hp_agilent_equipment] Replacing ROMs! >> >> Perhaps you might think that, but Didier's site has a ROMS >> section which aspires to have ROMS for just about everything. >> >> Far easier to go to one place for everything, than to go >> hunting hither and thither. >> >> -Chuck Harris >> > > Another vote for Didier's site ...Among other things unbeknownst to most > of you is he has a succession plan for his site in the event of his > death for it to carry on ...He and I discussed this at length a few > years ago and as a result KO4BB.com will become the final resting place > for the ArtekManuals files after my passing ...None of us are getting > any younger...However if my gene pool is any indicator don't get > excited, I plan to outlive all of you anyway .... my father is 96 and > still hanging in there > > -- > Dave > Manuals@... > > > --- > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. > > >
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Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
Greetings,
Two interesting HP DMM¡¯s were the HP 3476A which could be configured as a stand alone DMM or integrated on top of a scope.
The other was a unique handheld auto-ranging probe-like DMM - the HP-970A. ?These were really kind of neat and handy. ?Unfortunately, they had a real tendency to ¡°grow legs¡± and disappear! ?When they were a current product, sometime in the ¡¯70¡¯s, I think they were $300 - $400 which was more then than it is now. ?When HP designed the 970 they must have never considered how tempting they would be to follow people home.
Ken
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Hello All,
I am doing a bit of research to accomplish a comprehensive understanding of the DVM / DMM technology from the late fifties and early sixties into the 90's. ?I have come up with what I think is a list that covers the models I should be looking into. ?Are there any more digital meters that should be added?
405 2401 2402 3435 3440 3450 3455 3456 3460 3465 3490
Cheers,
David
|
Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
You are missing the 3480.?
Do you want to include companion units like the 3495 Scanner ?
I worked at the Loveland Instrument Division, LID, on voltmeters
from 1969 until 1975 on various projects.
Larry Bower
On 2/16/2016 6:08 AM, 'Daun Yeagley'
daun@... [hp_agilent_equipment] wrote:
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?
How about the
3437?? It was a ¡°high speed¡± (by ¡®70¡¯s standards), and
was used for digitizing waveforms.
?
Daun
?
Daun E.
Yeagley, II, N8ASB
?
?
?
Hello All,
?
I am doing a bit of research to accomplish a
comprehensive understanding of the DVM / DMM
technology from the late fifties and early sixties
into the 90's. ?I have come up with what I think
is a list that covers the models I should be
looking into. ?Are there any more digital meters
that should be added?
?
405
2401
2402
3435
3440
3450
3455
3456
3460
3465
3490
?
Cheers,
?
David
|
Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
Yes, the 3458A should definitely be in there:
On Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 9:17 AM, walter2@... [hp_agilent_equipment] <hp_agilent_equipment@...> wrote:
?
The real flagship DMM from HP is still the 3458A, it remains the favorite of most high end cal shops and is used by many as their primary shop standard.? capable of accuracy to a few ppm in some modes, it is really a marvel of engineering a every level.
oddly, it is the fluke 8506A that was the preferred standard for true RMS AC measurements.
other very high end units include Datron and Schlumberger models.
all the best,
walter (walter2 -at- )
sphere research corp.
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Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
I am trying to stick with one company at a time first, then I will need to branch out to the other quality makers to compare and learn. ?I know the 405 was a commercial flop relative to the 3440 and that there were a few key players early in the game, esp. NLS and Cubic, but I have found few others.
I am finding it quite an interesting journey so far.
Any thoughts or ideas or memories would be great.
I have located most pertinent HP Journals, App Notes, and Catalogs so the easy part is done. ?Now it is time to dive in and see where it takes me. ?Thank you all for your input!!! ?Keep it coming.
Cheers,
David
The latest list:
405
2401
2402
3403
3435
3437
3440
3450
3455
3456
3460
3465
3466
3467
3470
3478
3480
3490
|
Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
The real flagship DMM from HP is still the 3458A, it remains the favorite of most high end cal shops and is used by many as their primary shop standard.? capable of accuracy to a few ppm in some modes, it is really a marvel of engineering a every level.
oddly, it is the fluke 8506A that was the preferred standard for true RMS AC measurements.
other very high end units include Datron and Schlumberger models.
all the best,
walter (walter2 -at- sphere.bc.ca)
sphere research corp.
|
Re: HP DVM / DMM technological history
I don't know if you want to include them, but there were also some scopes including the HP 1715A and Tek 465B that had digital multimeters glued to the top.
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John Allen